“It Don’t Take Long For A Halo

….to turn into a noose". Ok so I caved in again last night but I must say that it's the most my wife and I have laughed together on Valentine's day in a long time.

However, when I heard this line, I knew I was going to write about it.

Because it's true. You look at the last days and months, and think about all the examples that this is true of. Bobby Knight, Roger Clemens, Kelvin Sampson, Hillary Clinton, Mitt Romney, etc.

There are so many examples out there of folks who at one time or another were darlings and could do no wrong. But then, something changed. Was it the people around them? The rules around them? The culture around them? The authorities around them? What was it?

One thing is for sure, each situation is vastly different but one thing is consistently the same. They are all highly driven people with lofty goals and big ambitions. They put themselves out there, did things the way they thought they should be done, and then "let the chips fall where they man" so to speak. In short, they took risks. They ventured a lot. They went "all in".

And in life, sometimes the very thing that helps you build momentum, is the very thing that ultimately spells your downturn. For a lot of people, it's a big personality. Their charisma gains them a lot of friends and a following and along comes influence. And with influence comes responsibility.

And then, many times in moments of pride and bad discernment, they do something that because their big personality has put them in front, they are more readily exposed. And when you're exposed, and you make a mistake, there's nowhere to turn and hide. You're in full view of everyone.

And when the fall comes, there are inevitably the scoffers, the judges, the critics, and the morticians ready to bury them for falling and ready to heap scorn for their moments of failure.

But the question I want to ask and ponder a little more in this corner of blogdom is this:

What is worse? To stay in the recesses and never venture anything so that it's always others who are risking and taking chances. That's definitely the safe route. You'll never be exposed that way. You'll never know humiliation. You'll never know rejection. It's definitely a pragmatic choice. Or is it better to push "all in" and go for broke. Is it best to lay it all on the table and "let the chips fall where they may". That's definitely the most dangerous route. You're out there for the whole world to see. Every move. Every word. Every decision. And if you make a wrong one, it could cost you big time. It's rewarding. But it's risky. What should a person do?

Is the line "it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all" really true? Do we really believe that?

And then, how does that fit in with The Gospel? What does Jesus have to say about this? Are we called as Christians to venture little? How is this issue OR Is this issue affecting the church today?